Laugh
by sanzopriestess
Summary: The Island of Vienna is known for its festivals and celebrations but, harbors a dark secret. The citizens of the island are dropping like flies and only a few know why. But,when the queen discovers why people are dying, there is nothing she won't do to stop it going as far as to request the help of an infamous pirate who could either be their salvation or destruction. DoflamingoxOc
1. Chapter 1-Edited

**A/n:** Before I can start the story I have to take care of something real quickly.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own one piece, nor do I make any profit from writing fanfictions. The only think that I'll claim is the idea of the fic and the original characters that pop up .

And now, with that out of the way, I present to you LAUGH!

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><p>Holding a gloved hand out expectantly, a woman with pink and purple dyed hair and a pierced lip demanded, "Ten thousand beri."<p>

"That's a bit over priced don't cha think sweetheart?" Drawled a hooded boy no older than twenty-one, his eyes glued to the bag resting in the, leather clad, palm of the woman, gaging whether or not he could take it from her and get away with it.

"Not for this amount it isn't, honey." She sharply retorted, sneering the first pet name that came to mind, talking down on him as he was talking down to her. He wasn't the one who was in control here, it was her and she wasn't afraid to exercise her power over this guy.

"Look, I have plenty of other buyers who are willing to pay triple my asking price. Take it or leave it, it'll only hurt you. In three seconds I'm walking away and you won't be seeing me-"

"Fine!" He slammed a fist full of bills into her, still waiting, hand. "I'll take it." He had heard a horrible rumor that the next shipment would arrive until next week and he couldn't go that long without the colorful buttons that filled the bag.

The woman smiled victoriously, joyfully handing over the plastic bag, having gotten what she wanted. The bag was only a few milligrams away from bursting at the seams.

With both of their objectives accomplished, both buyer and seller parted ways until they once again needed each other.

With the bag now in his possession, the man returned to his friend's place, where they proceeded to tear into their replenished supply like starving wolves into the rotting carcass of an elk.

Once satisfied, they sat back, laughter slowly bubbling up from their throats and exploding into the air.

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><p>Quick paced footsteps rapidly approached the cavernous room that was flooded by natural light. The circular shape of the room and the large bay windows offered a full, three hundred sixty degree, view of the island. But, despite its size, it was occupied by a single woman.<p>

The arched door, the only non-glass panel in the room, was guarded, on either side. And, when they saw the familiar black haired man approaching, they wordlessly opened the doors, granting him access to the room in which their queen stood, deep in thought, looking out over the east coast of the island of Vienna.

"You have better have good news for me or, for your sake, I'd suggest that you leave my sight at once." The white haired woman growled turning away from the view of the island and eventually the clear blue sea and towards her trusty advisor, Cypress.

She was in no mood to hear of the rising death toll.

In just two weeks the death rate of the citizens had jumped from a handful a week, to a dozen, if not more daily, and that number was on the rise. Soon, if the deaths on her island did not stop, she would have no one to rule over. Vienna would be comparable to the island of Thriller Bark, nothing but a ghost town with desolated buildings and no signs of life.

Cypress was a rather imposing man with a strong, muscular build, hair as dark as a starless night and an olive complexion. Physically, he was the exact opposite of the ruler of Vienna Island, who was a slender woman, of average height, with fare skin and long, pulled back hair, the color of snow.

"It's good news I bear this time my queen." He informed her, rising from his knees to tower over her. Before she could question him, he reached into his shirt and pulled out a, half full, bag of rainbow colored tabs. "I believe the deaths as of late may be connected to these."

The woman reached out and took the bag from his hand, examining the vibrantly colored tabs. Each pill appeared have something different etched into their surfaces. Some had letters on them, others had smiley faces and still others were blank.

Thrusting the bag back towards her advisor, she coolly asked, "So my citizens are overdosing themselves?"

"It would appear so." Said Cypress, before explaining just how he had come into possession of the drugs.

The north coast of the island was preparing for a festival, and when he and a group of royal guards came across a house whose door was wide open, leading into a black hole of an apartment, he was obliged to make sure that everything was ok.

Since the crime rate of Vienna was very low, due to the drastic consequences for the smallest of crimes. But, that didn't mean that there weren't crimes that didn't slip through the cracks.

Instead of finding an intruder, a murder or a thief, he found a living room filled with six males, their ages ranging from boy to man and four females, also varying in age, all of whom were without breath or a pulse. Resting on the coffee table the group had been surrounding, was a bag, less than half full with its contents spilled across the table.

Cypress could handle a few dead bodies but, the disturbing thing about this case was that each and every one of them had a smile upon their faces.

The more Cypress talked and explained how he had happened upon the bag, the deeper the frown on her face deepened. And, once the end was reached, she opened the bag, took out a handful and pressed the bag back into Cypress' hands.

"I want to know not just its effects but, to find out where this drug is coming from and who is producing it. The means will justify the ends."

Fortunately, despite their physical differences, they were almost always on the same page. So, the man bowed with the word, "Understood," before taking his leave.

And, while the fare skinned woman began examining the buttons, Cypress headed to the islands prison, armed with the drugs and orders to administer them to the prisoners, for the prisoners to be carefully watched by the guards and of course the threat of being reprimanded by Queen Soraiya if they so much as thought about using the drugs themselves.

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><p><strong>One month later<strong>

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><p>"What have you discovered Cypress?" The woman asked, rising from a chair as the doors were opened and the large man entered the room.<p>

For the past month he had been drugging prisoners, going as far as to purposefully overdose them, and she had known it all along, even though her people remained unaware of the questionable behavior of their queen and her guard.

"It appears that the drug is a depressant of-"

Even though that was an important piece of information, Soraiya was far more interested in something else.

"And its effects?" She interrupted, hiding her enthusiasm behind a cool act that wasn't much of an act at all.

"After weeks of observation, it appears that the drug lightens the conscious, taking the problems, worries and cares away, release endorphins and causing excessive laughter. It is highly addictive, after administering the first dose, the prisoners were begging for more."

"Is it appropriate to believe that the five letters on the buttons spell out the word LAUGH and is, therefore, the name of the drug?"

Cypress nodded his head and thoughtfully said, "That is reasonable, yes."

"Then this," She held up a pink button with a smiley face etched into it, "do you know recognize it?"

Without a moment's hesitation, the unwelcome words, "Oh no," slipped from Cypress' mouth.

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><p>A blonde man with purple lensed shades, a big, pink feathered, jacket and an even larger smile, lounged on the deco of his ship, seated comfortably on a throne like chair, basking in the sun like a cold blooded reptile. Only, the sun would not warm his cool blood nor melt his wintry heart.<p>

It was a bright, clear day, without so much as a sign of turbulence in neither the sky nor the deep, blue waters that surrounded the ship. And, as boring as it was to do absolutely nothing, it was somewhat enjoyable, to be bothered by nothing, with not a care in the world.

But, just in case someone decided that they had a job for him, a pink transponder snail rested on the armrest of his throne. The calm and the peace of this particular day had long since worn out its welcome; Doflamingo was ready for some action, ready for something to do.

Fortunately, the peace and quiet was interrupted by the chirping of the transponder snail, signifying that someone had some business to take care of with him.

Closed eyes opened behind purple lenses and studied the snail, debating whether or not he would bother himself with an underworld job or ignore it.

After a few seconds, however, a calloused hand reached out, lifted the receiver from the back of the snail and brought it up to a broadly smiling mouth. Whatever the job, it would prove far more entertaining than lying around like a lazy cat, doing nothing but breathing.

Into the receiver, he silkily asked, "Who has the pleasure of speaking to me?"

The person on the other end scoffed, apparently finding his words amusing in some way, before a quick, sharp retort was fired through the receiver back at him.

"I assure you pirate, the reasons for which we converse is far from pleasant."

Doflamingo couldn't help but laugh. But, the sound that was being emitted from his wide open mouth was far from good natured. Whoever was speaking to him must have something against pirates; after all, not everyone could spit the word so venomously at someone they had never met. Doflamingo couldn't say that he recognized the voice but, he was now rather curious as to why the female on the other end was calling him. He knew that he would get his answers before the conversation ended.

But, before he could say anything, the caller sharply asked, "Is this Donquixote Doflamingo, owner of an unusual jolly roger with a smiley face and a cancel sign through it?"

"It is I." The blonde cautiously answered, wasted no time in clarifying that she was talking to the one and only. And, once she knew who she was speaking to, Doflamingo politely sneered, "And to whom am I speaking to?"

Whoever it was, they were fearless.

"Soraiya, Queen of Vienna island of the New World-" She coolly began before being interrupted by another burst of laughter.

Queen Soraiya, that would certainly explain why she had so viciously spat the word pirate, even if Vienna Island was a place of legendary celebrations and festivals, a place where it mattered no if one were a pirate or a marine. It was rumored that their ruler was as proud and cruel as she was beautiful. And, if such were truly the case, than this conversation must be quite painful for the woman.

"To what do I owe this honor, my queen?" Like she had spat the word pirate, he sneered the words 'my queen', not at all impressed by her social status.

She was a queen, sure, but, he was a member of the royal Donquixote family. His power and influence was considerably stronger than hers would ever be but, he supposed that was why she had choked down her pride just enough to give him a call.

Soraiya glared daggers down at the button of LAUGH and at the wanted poster before her. She would not allow anyone to mock her. It was a shame that a great distance separated them, or else she would have given him something far greater than just a piece of her mind.

It wasn't that she needed his help, because she didn't. All she truly had to do was to cut off all exports and imports and if that didn't solve the problem then she would find another way to end the epidemic. But, because it was the doing of Donquixote Doflamingo, she was going to make him clean up the mess he had made and he did not have an option.

If she had to, Soraiya would sail to his ship, kidnap the man and drag him back to Vienna. And while that wasn't the most foolproof of plans, she was determined to make sure that she wasn't the only one cleaning up after the pirate.

Unfortunately, Doflamingo would be much more agreeable if she didn't go and piss him off.

It was also rumored that Soraiya was one of the very few rulers who had managed to stay out of politics. Once on her island, it mattered not if you were a World Government official, a marine or a pirate, commit a crime and you were liable to pay the price.

Of course, that meant that the fact that she had called him, of all the people in the world, meant that even though she was withdrawn from politics, she was not ignorant. It also meant that she must be desperate for something, something that she believed that he could help her with. And, even though he didn't appreciate the tone she was taking with him, Doflamingo couldn't help but smile.

After a deep breath, the queen of Vienna Island, coolly, in a clipped voice, said, "I require your services."

Those four words were painful to think, let alone speak or even admit to another living being. And, not only was she confiding in another human, but, this human was a pirate, a rather infamous and feared one for that matter.

Once again, a peel of laughter slipped from Doflamingo's mouth.

Once again, he couldn't help it.

It felt unbelievably good to have a queen begging for his help. So good in fact that Doflamingo wished that he could hear her thoughts, see her contorted face as she asked him, a 'lowly', pirate for help.

"You must be desperate if you have decided to delve into the world of criminals just for some help."

Soraiya could already tell that the time spent with this man would be very unpleasant. Already, this conversation was unbearable. Of course, that could be because they were two alphas vying for power, even over the transponder snail.

"I wouldn't be smiling, let alone laughing, if I were you." She snapped, irritation breaking through the cool mask she had donned upon picking up the receiver and placing the call.

A single, blonde, eyebrow rose questioningly with the word, "Oh?"

The longer the two of them talked, the happier Doflamingo became that he hadn't to ignore the queen's call. It wasn't all day that a queen was begging for your help. Typically he had no compassion, no concern for those who begged, opting to either ignore them, kill them or to let someone else deal with them.

"And why not?" His words were nothing more than a slight challenge, one that Queen Soraiya should be able to rise up to and accept.

"A highly addictive drug, called LAUGH, has been killing the citizens of my island and-"

"What do you expect me to do about it my queen?" Doflamingo asked with a low chuckle.

It was hardly his problem if people, on an island he couldn't care less about, were taking some drug of their own volition and killing themselves with it. If the people didn't want to stop overdosing on some drug called LAUGH, then there was nothing he could do for them.

"It's your jolly roger on the pills. So, you are going to come to Vienna Island and you are going to clean up the mess you've made out of my island. I don't care what you do to or on other islands but, did you really think that I would stand by and allow you to kill my people?"

Her demands failed to shake the smile from his face, though they did succeed in shrinking down a few sizes, her words greatly displeasing. She had no power over him; she could not tell him what he would or wouldn't be doing. The thing that got to him however, was the fact that his jolly roger was on a drug that he wasn't producing or allowing to be produced under his name.

Curiosity about the drug dictated the words that next came from his mouth, asking the question that was on the forefront of his mind while the queen was still on the snail. "What are the properties of this drug?"

"When you arrive on the south shore of Vienna Island, I will fill you in on everything we know. Then, and only then, will I discuss any further information with you." The queen growled at him like so few had the gall to do.

Doflamingo wondered if she would have the courage to speak to him as she currently was if less distance stood between the two of them.

"Who's to say that I'll burden myself with the problems of your island?" He questioned, sounding as interested as he possibly could, even though he was furious that someone was using his name for activity that wasn't authorized by him, under his flag. When the bastard was found, they would regret ever being born.

"You're going to set your course the moment we disconnect." The queen icily stated, as though she knew for sure that she was correct, sounding all high and mighty because of her confidence.

But, she was wrong. Doflamingo didn't have to wait for them to disconnect. In fact, their course was already changing. He knew the general location of Vienna Island, and with wire like strings, he was able to grab ahold of the wheel of the ship and change their direction as they spoke.

None the less, he asked, "What gave me away?"

She was a sharp one, and, if nothing else, would provide some form of entertainment while he ransacked her island for the producer of LAUGH.

"It was your voice, Captain." She sneered his title, as he had hers, and then, without another word, slammed the receiver down onto the snail's back, the chilly mask she had been keeping, breaking and falling away from her face.

All she knew about the man named Donquixote Doflamingo were the things Cypress had told her, the information on the wanted poster and what he had just revealed during their short conversation.

"Are you alright my queen?" Cypress asked, stepping forwards and taking the transponder snail from the woman's hands, a look of concern upon his face.

"Yes, yes." She stood, waving away his concern and said, "We must prepare."

The large man nodded his head and listened to every word that followed, careful to catch every detail.

The line was abruptly cut off, leaving a strained smile upon the captain's face. He was not going to Vienna Island for a celebration, or for the sake of the island itself nor its people. No, Doflamingo wanted to know who was putting his jolly roger on thins it didn't belong and if he helped the queen and Vienna Island in the process then so be it. If he destroyed the place, that was fine with him as well.

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><p>An: Thank you so much for reading the first chapter of LAUGH and I hope to see your next chapter. While I wait for the dressrosa arc to wrap up and finish i'm going to be working on this fic and then i'll be getting back to my other doflamingo one.

Please leave your thoughts and opinions and any critiques that you may have, all are greatly appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n:** So, for those of you who don't know, I updated the previous chapter and changed the part where Doflamingo comes in. So, if you're interested in seeing what exactly changed and whatnot, then I suggest you go back and re-read it, if not, then feel free to continue on.

Also, thank you to Sandys3 and Jazzy26 for encouraging me to go back and get Doflamingo more in character and making the story, over all, more believable. And of course Girl-luvs-manga, who helped me develop LAUGH.

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><p>A heavy, arched door, creaked inwards, the noise unheard by the white haired woman, who was delicately seated on a small sofa, a thick book resting in her lap.<p>

Footsteps echoed off of the shelf covered walls and came to a stop when a large, bulk of a man, came to a stop several feet away from the arm of the, robin egg, blue couch.

"My queen." He quietly murmured, attempting not to startle the woman out of her read. Knowing her, she was in another world, unaware of the time, all senses devoted to the book at hand.

With slowly blinking, blue eyes, Soraiya looked up from the engrossing book. Fiction was always so much more fascinating than reality. But, regardless of her opinions and desires, she asked,

"What is it, Cypress?"

Day by day, Soraiya was losing hope that the pirates would be arriving to clean up their mess. If such were to occur, she had developed several alternative plans. One would be a fool to depend on, let alone trust pirates, even though she had gathered many treasures to present to the leader of the band of criminals to thank them for coming to her island. Of course, there was no guarantee that they would stick around long enough to be of any help.

"There is a ship approaching."

Being an island, imports, exports, travelers and so on were not uncommon. It was not an uncommon sight see a marine vessel or a pirate ship, or several of each, docking. The only ship Soraiya currently cared about, however, was the one that would bring Donquixote Doflamingo to Vienna Island and put an end to LAUGH. So, the news that there was an approaching ship came as no surprise, though Soraiya couldn't help but be hopeful that it belonged to Doflamingo.

Despite her hopes, however, her voice was void of emotion, "What of it?"

"This vessel sports the jolly roger of that engraved on the tabs of LAUGH. They are due to dock in less than an estimated thirty minutes, what do you wish for me to do?"

Trying her hardest to keep her emotions in check, Soraiya doggy eared the top of the page she was on and slowly, with much restraint, rose to her feet.

"I am going to meet them."

Cypress nodded and trailed after Queen Soraiya as she swept from the library like a dancer across the dance floor.

"I'll come with you." He volunteered.

There was no way in hell that he was allowing the queen of Vienna Island to meet an infamous pirate captain and his crew alone. As ferocious and powerful as the woman was, against the ito-ito no me, she would be powerless, becoming nothing but a puppet on strings, forced to do Donquixote's bidding until he released her. Donquixote Doflamingo was not feared across the world for being a kind hearted man with a considerable amount of mercy, who helped people solve their problems for the sake of good. Most Marines didn't even do that. He was a criminal who was not to be taken lightly.

Donquixote Doflamingo was in a class all his own. Not a single one of the pirates, of all of them combined, who had come to the island, could compare to Doflamingo and Cypress wasn't confident that Queen Soraiya understood this.

"That will not be necessary." Soraiya effortlessly blew Cypress off.

She did not need his help facing this man. She could not appear weak against him; she could not appear as though she needed to stand next to an imposing figure to make herself seem stronger and more threatening.

Soraiya didn't want Doflamingo to think badly of her. And even if it were inevitable, at least she'd be able to say that she had tried.

As calm as he usually was, Cypress was unable to keep the concern, the fear, the exasperation, out of his voice.

"Forgive me for speaking against you my queen, but, I don't think you understand the severity of the situation. I don't think you understand what kind of man you're welcoming onto Vienna-"

Not slowing down, Soraiya glanced at Cypress and, despite the fact that she was being yelled at, she said calmly to her advisor,

"I am aware that you are only doing your job, but, I will have you know that I know exactly what it is I am doing, which is why, if anything happens, or this man manipulates me by using his devil fruits ability, I want you to kill me on the spot and then take my place as ruler of the island."

Soraiya had mused over all of the possible outcomes and consequences that would be perpetrated by summoning Doflamingo and his crew to her island.

The past few nights had been sleepless and during those sleepless nights, she had been researching the man she had called to Vienna Island and of course the Donquixote family. In her search, she had learned that not only was he a former member of the royal family but, he was a cunning and cruel man with a reputation far worse than hers could ever be. She also had a hunch that this pirate captain wasn't sailing across the New World without some kind of ulterior motive.

Saving Vienna Island was most likely the last thing on his agenda of things to do.

Cypress lost his composition at that moment. There was no way that he could remain as calm as he had been before after hearing that his precious queen was prepared to die.

"Why are you doing this then?! If you know of all of the dangers of welcoming the Donquixote Family, why?!"

"This island and the people are much more important than my life, Cypress. And, I know that if anything were to happen, you would be the only one I would be ok with taking my place.

"What if the-"

"I am prepared for the worst, as you should be as well." The Queen advised coolly. She did not want to raise false hopes. These men and women were pirates and even though Vienna Island had been taught to not see in shades of black in white, she could not just trust them without them earning it.

"But, my queen, why THEM? Why one of the worst pirates on the seas?" They both knew damn well that she could have requested assistance from the World Government or from the Marines, anyone besides a band of unruly criminals.

"Because, Cypress, this is what they do. These men and women are as low as the bastards producing and selling LAUGH. Unlike us, they think like them and will prove useful if provided the right incentives, I'm sure of it."

Truth be told, Soraiya wasn't the least bit confident.

The main doors of the palace were opened and out stormed the icy queen and her dark advisor, still discussing why she would be greeting the incoming pirates alone.

The vibrant shoreline of Vienna Island drew closer and closer, the cluster of bright, vivid, colors slowly focusing into distinct buildings, streets and fluttering streamers. Faint cheers and music could be heard from the other side of the island.

A drug business would be all too easy to keep up on an island like this where people came and went as they pleased without so much as a search, where visitors lost the title of pirate, traveler or marine and became citizens so long as they were on the island.

An island like Vienna had to be a relatively difficult place to govern, so, to say that Doflamingo wasn't eager to see how Queen Soraiya did it, would be a lie. He was curious as to how a single woman ruled over the New Worlds party central and stayed out of politics at the same time. There were actually a great many things that he was looking forwards to, like finding and punishing the bastard who was using his jolly roger and actually meeting the Queen in person of course.

She had been such a joy to speak with on the transponder snail, opting to end their conversation by suddenly hanging up, so, he couldn't imagine what she would be like face to face. Doflamingo would be greatly disappointed if she were to shake like a leaf before him and stammer her words with a sheet white face, as so many did while faced with someone as fearsome and as powerful as himself.

The ship drew closer and closer to the lifeless shore and the empty dock until, finally it was reached. And, when it was, several men jumped down and secured the ship to the dock before setting up the gangplank.

Doflamingo rose from his throne and was the first to descend the gangplank and step onto the dock. Shaded eyes scanned the shore, locking on a lone figure, which was standing there like a stone statue, with beauty and grace not uncommon for a ruler of any kind.

"How bold." Doflamingo chuckled as their eyes locked, it was as though she could see through his shades as well as he himself could.

It appeared as though she had come to greet them alone.

All along Soraiya had thought that Cypress was a large man seeing how he towered a full three heads over her and had arms thicker than the two of her arms combined. But, the blonde who first walked down the plank dwarfed even Cypress.

The man had a confident swagger, a strange, bow-legged walk, and a large smile upon his face, as if he were for some reason happy to see her.

She did not once take her blue eyes from him as he approached, watching his crew flood from his ship with her peripheral vision.

The Queen was of average height for a woman, clothed in baggy, black, pants that were tucked into flats that reached up her calves, and a long, tunic-like, shirt that stopped short of her thighs. She was swathed in an air of artic indifference, a whip with what looked like small blades, coiled at her hip. Doflamingo was happy to see that she was armed; elated even because it meant that she was not so bold or ignorant, that she hadn't come to meet them unprepared. But, truth be told, that whip wouldn't prove very useful against him, even if it were seastone.

"You came alone?" He questioned in a silkily smooth voice despite the obvious, as he reached the stoic queen.

"Were you expecting something else?"

Doflamingo pouted, much like a child might, only, unlike a child, he wasn't being serious. "A welcome party would've been nice."

On an island like Vienna, one would expect a grand welcoming party, especially someone as important as himself. Of course, judging by what he had gathered about Soraiya, the parties and festivities that the island was so famous for were rarely attended by her.

"I am the welcoming party." She dryly informed the man.

Due to his impossible height, she had no choice but to look straight up at him and, consequently, even though he was slouching with his hands in his pockets, he was looking down on her in the most literal of senses. But, there was no doubt that he was looking down on her in the figurative sense as well.

The man's crew had gathered behind him, giving the two leaders the space they silently demanded they be given.

"Oh, I get it princess," he sneered the incorrect title for the woman in front of him, knowing full well what he was doing, "I'm supposed to be honored that you've come all the way from your palace just to greet lil ol' me."

His words weren't kind in the very least and were meant to hurt or sting, but, to his disappointment, there was hardly even a flash of pain or fury in her blue eyes.

"But, allow me to let you in on a couple of secrets of mine." Said Doflamingo viciously, "It is you who should be honored by my gracing you with my presence-"

"Doflamingo." Soraiya interrupted, drawling his name quietly.

It couldn't be helped that he was such an arrogant man with an ego larger than the ship behind him. But, she had no desire to be talked down upon.

Even though he was obviously displeased with the interruption, he drawled out the word, "Yes?"

"First, I would like to inform you that I am not so ignorant to believe that you are here for me and the sake of my island." A single, blonde, eyebrow arched questioningly, expressing curiosity and a twinge of surprise. "I know full well that you have an ulterior motive, if not several, for coming to Vienna Island. But, while you remain her, with our objectives not yet accomplished, can we not call a truce?"

The truce she had in mind was to end the dispute of power they were having between verbal warfare and a battle of wills and put them on equal grounds, even though she didn't like the idea near as much as he would hate it. They simply could not be battling like this while trying to accomplish something.

"A truce you say?!" He announced to the world, with an almost sarcastic laugh. "Aren't those things only for those who are warring?"

As far as he was concerned, they were partaking in a bit of playful banter, not war.

"Yes, which, is why I suggest that we cease this battle of wills and verbal warfare and call a truce of powers."

Doflamingo straightened up, folding his arms behind his head. It always felt good to be the one in power, but, then again, when was he not in such a position?

He had Queen Soraiya dancing in the palm of his hand and he knew it, even if she did not. He could curl his fingers and crush her if he so pleased, or he could simply let her go but, what would the fun in that be?

"I'll think about it." He graciously told her, not down-right giving her his cooperation or his refusal.

"Aren't you gracious?"

She spat, giving the pirate captain the briefest of glances of what lay beyond the ice cold, stone hard, queenly act she put on. But, it was concealed; the mask was replaced, before he could get a good look at what exactly lay beneath the surface.

"While you think about it, why don't you follow me?" Even as she spoke, she turned and started for the palace without waiting for Doflamingo. If he wanted a place for him and his crew to stay then he would need to follow her, if not, he could do whatever the hell he wanted.

"Hold up there princess, where are we going?" Doflamingo asked forcing the Queen of Vienna to come to a stop.

He didn't want to be led straight into a trap of sorts. Though the likelihood of her confessing and giving away said trap was little to none, words were not the only things that would give her away.

"The palace of course, where I will present to you compensation for having come so far out of your way for the sake of my island."

Compensation?

Doflamingo certainly liked the sound of that. Because neither the woman's expression nor her body language changed while she responded to his suspicion filled question, he released the hold he had over her and practically sang, "Lead the way."

Scowling, Soraiya turned and began leading the way to the palace. She had no intentions of speaking to the captain or a single one of the morons that followed him and followed his orders. As they hiked up the steeply inclined streets, stone cold silence hung between the two leaders. Any attempt at conversation, on the blond's part, was ignored.

It wasn't until they were at least half way there did Soraiya decide to break the silence and curtly fill the pirate captain in on some premade arrangements that he had every right to know.

"I have prepared, for your crew, the west wing of the palace. There will be one hundred servants to serve them during your guy's stay."

Knowing full well that his crew wouldn't be complaining about the initiative Queen Soraiya had taken to accommodate them, Doflamingo moved onto something only slightly more important than his crew and their arrangements.

"And for me?"

"Quarters not far from my own."

Like he had been against giving the pirates a full wing of the palace, Cypress had been fully against having Doflamingo staying so close to her.

"Are you not worried that I might come into your quarters uninvited at night?" He didn't have to try to make those words sound ominous.

"Whatever you would do at night you would do during the day." Soraiya bluntly told him, knowing full well that he wasn't the kind of man to do things with the cloak of night to cover and conceal his actions. And, truth be told, she was very afraid that he might try something with their quarters being so close, but those things were nothing that he couldn't do if they were in completely different parts of the palace.

"You're awfully trusting of an infamous pirate."

Like a wolf bears its teeth against an opponent, Soraiya bore hers, snarling, "Are you so foolish as to believe that I _trust _ you? Don't mistake my hospitality for trust captain. You are merely a tool in which I will use to its full capacity to eradicate LAUGH from this island."

That was the truth and nothing but the truth. Of course, at that moment any normal person would fear for their lives. Actually, Doflamingo probably expected her to fall to her knees and beg for her life or beg for him not to permanently disfigure or scar her. Despite his obvious displeasure at the tone she had taken with him and the words she had just spat, she stood her ground, stubbornly pushing on ahead as if she hadn't said anything unusual.

Her strides were long, powerful and filled with rage yet, Doflamingo effortlessly matched her strides no matter how much faster or slower she went to fall out of step with him. And as amusing as that was he had to set her straight. After all, the Queen was wrong when it came to who was using who. Because, if she thought that it was she who was using him than she was truly delusional.

A condescending laugh flooded from his mouth like rain out of a gutter, followed by the words, "Do not be mistaken, princess, we're not so easily manipulated, unlike someone else I know." He reached over and stroked her cheek, turning her head so that she was facing him, forcing the two of them to slowly come to a stop. "It is I who is using you. It would be wise if you didn't forget it."

She jerked her chin out of his grasp and, with a deep frown, stormed onwards. Mentally she counted backwards from ten, an attempt to release some of her anger. This man was already wearing on her nerves, pushing all of the wrong buttons and, quite frankly, rubbing her the wrong way. To make matters worse, she felt as though he knew what he was doing.

Soraiya was hoping and praying that the pirates would do their job, accomplish their true objective and then get the hell off of Vienna Island before too much time passed. Too much time spent with Doflamingo was undoubtedly going to drive her mad.

"Can I have your word that we will both work together to accomplish what we both wish to accomplish?" A pirates word wasn't much to go by and this man's words was probably as reliable as the weather forecasters. But, regardless, she wanted to hear from him that they could somehow put things aside and get what they needed done.

"Just don't forget, it's you who needs me."

White teeth clamped down hard on a poison soaked tongue. It had been much better when there was nothing but silence between them.

Queen Soraiya may have thought that she was hiding her boiling blood beneath that icy façade of hers but, she could not fool such keen eyes. It gave him a great deal of satisfaction to have pissed the woman off after less than a full sixty minutes after meeting her face to face. She may not know it but, by simply not responding she had decided the victor of their battle, this time the victory was his to claim. Truth be told, he could not foresee Soraiya winning many battles in the future.

If he so desired, Vienna Island could be his before night fell. An underworld business wouldn't be too difficult to conceal and maintain. But, despite, for Vienna's visual appeal, reputations and functionality, Doflamingo had no desire to do such a thing.

After a vigorous climb up winding streets, some filled with festivities, laughter and music, others as ghostly as a cemetery, they reached the palace, a splendid structure that towered over the entire island, placed atop Vienna's highest, most central point. The building sported not only spires and towers but, also arched doorways and windows but, also a large, circular room on its roof, several steps and awaiting guards.

Soraiya didn't expect Doflamingo to be impressed with her home and, he wasn't. He hardly spared the architecture a second glance, let alone a first glance. His eyes skimmed over all of the details carved into the buildings stone, over the guards on either side of the doors and stopped on the tall, dark hair and skinned man who was walking towards them.

Cypress had been waiting for them, looking as solemn as ever, his hands folded behind his back. Their eyes met and he was set into motion, starting forwards without giving the pink feathered blonde so much as a lick of attention, though he was aware of his presence.

"Are these them?" He asked, though there was no doubt about it.

Just standing in the presence of Donquixote Doflamingo set him on edge. This man was not someone who should be welcomed into the palace, or anywhere for that matter. None of them could be trusted around the maids, the servants, the citizens or the islands valuables and yet, they were to stay where they were farthest from the people but closest to everything else, including the Queen.

Soraiya nodded once. "Please, show the Donquixote family to the west wing."

He wanted to argue some more, to press the issue and demand that he go with the Queen. Because even though he had been trying to convince her to call the pirates off, they were still here, so the very least he could do was protect her shall the pirate decide to make a move, of any sort, on his queen. But, despite what he wanted, he simply nodded and, with an order from Doflamingo, the crew began filing through the door after him until it was the guards and the two leaders standing on the front steps of the palace.

"My compensation my queen." Doflamingo sneered, mocking the gentlemanly act of bowing and gesturing towards the door.

"Later." He could see the room filled with national treasures, beri and other materialistic goods that were sure to please, at another time. "Please follow me." Maybe the added word please would convince the captain to come along quietly without using his blasted devil fruit's power to play the role of the master of puppets.

Surprisingly enough, instead of saying something spiteful, arrogant or doing something mockingly or attempting to get under her skin, Doflamingo started forwards, still matching her stride, contenting himself with looking around at the interior of the palace and memorizing the course they were taking and where exactly they were going.

The white haired woman led them to her favorite room of the palace, the room of windows. Once there, she went over to a glass coffee table surrounded by furniture and picked up the bag of LAUGH. Only six buttons remained, one of each letter of LAUGH and one with the jolly roger. She walked back over to Doflamingo and silently handed him the bag, cutting though his comments about the room with the words,

"Seeing how we are now face to face, I intend on upholding the promise I made too you on the transponder snail."

The bag was snatched from her hands as the blonde strutted past her, sauntering across the room with an air of ownership about him, as if he thought he owned the room. He settled in a chair and, as he dumped the tabs into the palm of his hand and examined them, asked,

"Did you doubt me?"

Soraiya confessed that she had indeed had her doubts, unable to bite back the truth.

"And they've disappeared?" He asked, seemingly uninterested in the conversation they were having, his attention fully focused on the pills.

"No. You're appearance on Vienna has only added to them." It wasn't as though Soraiya had expected a saint to arrive on her island, especially after Cypress' response to the jolly roger on the buttons, but, she hadn't exactly expected someone like Doflamingo either. Either way however, she was stuck with him and his crew until they cleaned up their mess.

Doflamingo seemed to be quite satisfied with her response, as if dispelling her doubts and fears would have just been the worst.

"Before we start, tell me, how did you discover the properties of this drug, LAUGH?"

There were several methods that could have been executed without having to try them on oneself, and, judging by how easily she had handled them, Soraiya wasn't addicted. Of course, every method that came to mind was completely and utterly morally wrong and unlikely something that a queen would consider, let alone act out.

Before answering the blonde's question, Soraiya considered the dangers, but, when none of them could outweigh hope of being able to cure the island, she coolly and calmly confessed,

"We had them tested on prisoners."

Truth be told, she had no regrets about doing what she had. The ends would justify the means. And, she had no reservations about telling Doflamingo her crimes because he had no right to judge her or her actions.

"And these prisoners were from Vienna?" This woman was just filled with surprises. Doflamingo had considered dismissing the rumors about the woman's cruelty; after all, he hadn't yet witnessed anything that would be considered such.

Soraiya shrugged her shoulders almost nonchalantly, as if it didn't really matter who the prisoners were.

"Some."

The smile that had yet to truly leave his face spread, like spilled blood across the ground, over his face.

"How cruel." He crooned, thrilled that the rumors hadn't been false.

Since Vienna Island didn't discriminate against pirates or marines, it was safe to assume that the prisoners in the island's jails were from each class. Pirates, Marines, her own citizens, it didn't matter, the Queen of Vienna Island had drugged and eventually killed them without so much as a bat of an eyelash or a flash of guilt and, Doflamingo couldn't help but be the slightest bit impressed.

"Are done with your questions?" Soraiya haughtily asked.

"Yes, yes, tell me all you've learned about my LAUGH." He leaned back, closing his fingers around the colorful pills and crossing his arms across his chest, eager to see what results her experiments had yielded.

Had LAUGH truly been his, this little debriefing wouldn't be necessary; actually, this entire visit wouldn't be taking place. If he had known about LAUGH and authorized its production and distribution, he wouldn't give a damn about any of the islands that it had been affecting. Not only that, but while sailing towards Vienna Island, he had done some research, quite a lot of digging, but, he had been unable to find anything about a 'highly addictive drug named LAUGH'.

And so, as it currently stood, the only thing he knew about the pills was the tidbit of information he had received over the transponder snail.

The queen opened her mouth, seconds from voicing her doubts, so, to quell those and to keep up the front that he was the one in control, that he was the one who knew everything, he waved his hand about the air and said,

"This is a test. I have to see what you've managed to discovered on your own."

She scoffed at those words but, they seemed to do their job, because of telling him off, instead of demanding that he be the one to share information, Soraiya began telling him everything she knew. She described the forms it came in, the forms in which it could be used, the effects of the drug on the mind and body, at which point was the overdosing point and finally, how exactly they died.

When she was done explaining everything she had learned, a single, rather sarcastic sounding, round of applause resounded throughout the room of windows, followed by the words,

"I'm impressed princess." Of course his words didn't exactly match his tone.

She crossed her arms across her chest and testily asked, "By?

"The fact that you've managed all of this information by drugging pirates, marines and your own citizens of course."

Not feeling the need to explain herself to Doflamingo, she just stared at him, waiting for any more of his question or belittling comments that he seemed to fond of spitting with that poisonous smile of his.

When it became clear that there was going to be no verbal response from the queen, he asked, "Is there anything else that I should be aware of?"

"I suppose you should know that the production of LAUGH is not done on Vienna Island, it's imported and even though we've not managed any suspects, we have learned that there's a larger concentration of deaths on the Northwest side of the island." She paused for a heartbeat and then, completely changed the conversation. "Seeing how I don't expect you to work today, I will show you to your room and turn you loose on Vienna Island."

"Before we get to that, tell me, what exactly is it you're thinking that my crew and I will be doing for you?"

"Anything necessary and authorized to eradicate LAUGH from my island, that is the only reason that you're here. I couldn't give a damn about the other islands that you have infected and are slowly killing, but, Vienna Island will not be one of those islands."

Deciding not to correct the Queen, Doflamingo raised an eyebrow and asked, "Anything?"

He decided that he would let her believe whatever it was that she wanted to believe so long as her delusions didn't get in his way and hinder his search.

Soraiya suddenly regretted saying the word anything. There was no doubt about what was going through his mind, though purple shades his what his eyes would have given away. Turning this man and his crew loose on Vienna Island was dangerous but, no more or less dangerous than allowing other pirates and even marines to have free reign over the island.

"Within reason, yes."

Doflamingo wondered if it occurred to her that his idea of within reason and her idea of within reason varied.

The Queen turned, obviously done with this conversation, and silently left the room, leaving it up to Doflamingo if he wanted to follow her or get left behind.

There was no need for further discussion anyways. He had received permission to whatever the hell he wanted so long as he could justify his actions. There were no guidelines, rules, restricted areas or restrictions that he had to worry about breaking into or getting around. And, best of all, he was staying in the palace; with the only thing worth worrying about was finding those who were producing LAUGH and destroying them.

They walked in silence, the only sound being that of their echoing footsteps. After she showed Doflamingo his quarters, she planned on ditching the pirate captain and taking a breather from him. She would disappear into a place in which she could let the high maintenance façade fall, like water over a falls. It was proving more and more difficult to keep the cool, calm, nonchalant façade up around Donquixote Doflamingo. For one reason or another, he simply wore her out and she couldn't say that she liked it.

It wasn't until the doors of their rooms were in sight did either of them speak.

All of the sudden, Doflamingo demanded, "I want to see the effects of LAUGH for myself."

It was obvious that he wasn't asking but, demanding. And, that if she did not give into him then he would have no choice but to take matters into his own hands and feed the tabs to some poor, unsuspecting, soul, something that Soraiya couldn't have.

It was odd that the creator or sponsor of the drug would need so much information about it. Soraiya doubted that he had been testing her because he would have at least provided some helpful insight, or cut in when she was wrong or not completely right. And now, he wanted to see the effects? From she knew about drugs, they didn't usually mutate and suddenly change. Would he have not tested it several times on several different people before putting it on the black market?

Despite her suspicions and doubts, she simply said, "I will take you to the prison after dinner," not giving a single thing away.

"And when will that be?" He asked, watching as the woman reached for a golden handle and push the door inwards.

As he slipped passed the queen and into the room, he heard her say, "Soon."

Once he was inside, she wasted no time closing the door and leaving him to find his way to dinner. Doflamingo didn't mind though, in fact, he rather enjoyed how she tried to hide her irritation and unease while she was around him. It was quite amusing, how she thought that she was hiding it from him.

With a smile, Doflamingo examined the room he had been abandoned in. It was nothing less than what one would expect in a palace. In fact, it was more like a small house than a simple room. Of course there was no kitchen but, there was almost everything else one could ask for. There was even a large bay window with a walk out balcony, which would make for easy comings and goings.

Soraiya closed the door, and let out a sigh of relief, sliding down the heavy metal as she looked up at the ceiling. She didn't know how long she was going to be able to last if Doflamingo was going to dictate her life until their missions had been accomplished and he would leave.

She knew that he would delight in nothing more than seeing her reach her breaking point, which, was why she resolved to never let it come to it.

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><p>An: Thank you so much for reading and for your reviews, follows and faves.

Please leave your thoughts and opinions and any critiques that you may have, all are greatly appreciated.


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